Pakistan on alert as election for new assemblies nears
Sunday, 17 Feb 2008 10:51
Voters across the country will choose their parliament and provincial assemblies tomorrow
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A deadly suicide bombing on an election rally in north-west
Pakistan has raised fears of further violence before voters go to the polls.
Pakistanis are set to elect the country's parliament as well as provincial assemblies in tomorrow's ballot, but the attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party, the political organisation previously led by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is a sign of the instability present in the country.
The assassination of Ms Bhutto on December 27th in a gun and bomb attack cast a shadow on election campaign in the country and resulted in the delay of polls by six weeks. The army has bee deployed at polling stations across the country to ensure law and order and the government has vowed that elections will be free and fair.
Election commission secretary Kanwar Dilshad told the AFP news agency: "This time, the process is completely transparent and there is no possibility of any wrongdoing or rigging
"Everything has been put in place to make these elections the most transparent and fair in the history of Pakistan," he added
Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema has also said that security will be ensured at polling stations, adding that every measure would be taken to protect voters.
A
European Union team will monitor the conduct of the polls which will see the country top three parties vie for seats in the country's highest legislative body. Campaigning has now officially ended as voters prepare to cast their ballots tomorrow.
Analysts foresee difficult times for the south
Asian country, as President Pervez Musharraf could see opponents in the form of the Pakistan People Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, make gains thereby eroding his power in the legislature.
The party supporting the president, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, is a prominent contender in the elections but recent opinion polls have shown dwindling supporting for the government in the wake of increasing incidents of terrorism and instability in the country.